Death on a Galician Shore by Domingo Villar

Death on a Galician Shore

Domingo Villar

Inspector Leo Caldas, from the Spanish region of Galicia, is a welcome addition to the Eurocrime genre. This second title about the character is a gentle police procedural crime novel, where the short chapters allow you to progress quickly but the references to the previous (for me unknown) title slows you down. Mystery outweighs tension, tranquillity and superstition beats gore and violence, and steadfast detection replaces frenetic pursuits.

Extract
'Nothing,' replied Nieves. 'There's a handwritten note in the margin of the report that says: "Enquiries are being made which will duly be recorded". But there are no more documents.'
The inspector tutted.
'Maybe it was a false alarm,' said Nieves.
'Maybe,' said Caldas, annoyed that another line of enquiry had come to nothing.
...
It was gone ten thirty at night when Caldas left the police station. He was hungry and felt as if he'd spent all week going round in circles investigating Justo Castelo's murder, ending up right back where he started.
Parallels
  • Water-Blue Eyes by Domingo Villar
  • A Death in Valencia by Jason Webster
  • The Darkness and the Deep by Aline Templeton